Band Camp
by melrose13
Summary: Ah the ingeniousness of band camp. All of us band nerds know of the glory of marching band, but what happens when our good friends from SSBB are the ones holding the instruments? Only good times can ensue! Multiple parings and pretty humorous.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: That's right; I wrote a fanfiction on band camp and mixed it with brawl characters. Call me a nerd, because I'm proud of it! This chapter is really just an intro to the real story, meaning there are arrays of characters that have yet to be introduced. My companions and I thought of all of this at our actual band camp and during the marching band season. I'm having so much fun with this and will be posting again soon. Enjoy!

After much anticipation and waiting, the students were finally allowed to enter the grey hound bus and take their seats. Their minds were clouded with excitement, all anxious to start the long awaited festivities at their destination. Over the next week, the high schoolers would be spending their time at a college two hours north of their hometown. It was the week that they knew will be full of mediocre food and exhausting hours, but they looked forward to it nonetheless.

It was the week of band camp.

By the end, everyone would be sick of music and marching (even the directors), but the traditions and ingeniousness of band camp would be worth it. Anticipation swarmed around the band students as they took their seats. There was a slight disappointment amongst the seniors, for they knew this would be the first official step towards graduation at the end of the year. It would be the first and last time they could be the most experienced in the band and show the freshman the ropes.

Two talented seniors made their way towards the back of one of the buses. Both boys were of medium height and normal weight, and were clearly isolating themselves from the underclassmen. The one that was slightly taller and skinnier sat on the isle side of the seats. This boy had midnight blue hair that grew slightly beyond his ears and large cerulean eyes that attempted to hide under his blue locks. His wardrobe consisted of muted colors, jeans, and heavy jackets, which often kept him unnoticed by many at his high school. This was a good thing because the boy was shy and kept to his own interests, one of which being the clarinet sitting in its case in his lap.

"Excited, Marth?" His friend sitting in the window seat asked. Marth nodded and smiled warmly at his comrade. His friend's wild black hair swayed as he turned, expecting Marth to speak again.

"What about you, Meta?" Marth inquired, continuing the conversation.

"I'm can't wait to be first chair." Meta said proudly, flashing his white teeth in a mischievous grin. Marth laughed at his friend, knowing how long he had waited to be the leader of the drum line. Meta strived to be the best, and finally there were no more upperclassmen standing in his way of being number one.

"What about the freshmen?" Marth continued. "Think any of them stand a chance of being in Wind Symphony?" Most of the time freshmen didn't make the upper band after the marching season was over, but there were always a few exceptions every year.

"Nope." Meta said, his yellow eyes meeting Marth's gaze. "It'll just be me, a few seniors, and the juniors. Even if a freshman did have the talent to be up with me, I wouldn't let him get a very good chair. You need experience to play the stuff that we do." Marth nodded in agreement, but didn't speak. Meta was so headstrong that sometimes he forgot things. Like the fact that Marth had gotten fourth chair in the upper band his freshman year. "So it looks like you'll be first chair again this year, my friend."

"Unfortunately." Marth groaned, leaning back in his chair.

"I don't get why you don't like first chair, Marth." Meta's expression became strained with confusion. "You've got the talent and the director loves you even though you're shy."

"You don't understand." Marth interrupted in monotone. "I just don't want to be the leader of anything. Being first chair means that I'm the leader." Meta could suddenly see the seriousness in Marth's round eyes. His voice may have hid his emotions well, but Meta could see the fear under his friend's barriers. Being best friends allowed the boys to look past the exteriors of each other and respect what the other was feeling deep down. Meta had momentarily forgotten that Marth's shyness ran deep; it wasn't just a part of his personality. The drummer dropped the subject at that point, not wanting to make his friend more uncomfortable.

The two friends sat in silence for a long while, both listening to the low hum of the highway beneath the bus. Towards the front of the Grey Hound, two girls sat together, also best friends, also seniors. Both girls had golden hair that reached the middle of their backs and sapphire eyes that left many boys speechless. The one named Peach was a few inches taller than her friend and had a more curvaceous body structure. Zelda was the more petite of the two, with more defined facial features. Peach was dressed in pink, her favorite color, and her hair was decorated with two glittering bows that held her bangs back perfectly. Zelda wore simpler clothes, just jeans and a slim t-shirt and merely had her locks pulled back into a braid that ran down her back. The two were quite different in personality, but still they found a way to be good friends.

Zelda was easily first chair of the flute section, but that wasn't always an easy fact for Peach to swallow. In fact, Peach was exceedingly jealous of her friend and constantly tried to break out of her shadow. However, her attempts were futile. Zelda had always been better than her friend and especially since it was senior year, she intended to keep her position at the top.

"I'm so excited for the marching season!" Peach giggled energetically. Her blonde hair shimmered when she moved.

"It'll be fun." Zelda replied with a warm smile. The two were sharing an iPod, each listening to pop music with one earphone.

"Hell yeah it'll be fun!" The girls both jumped at the voice suddenly interrupting their quiet conversation. They looked back to see a boy with blue spiky hair leaning over the tops of their seats. Zelda rolled her eyes.

"Go away, Ike." She mumbled. The muscular teenager draped his arms over the top of her seat and tilted his head to the side.

"Aw," He cooed, making a fake hurt expression. "Still not gonna be nice to me, Zelda?" The flutist glared at him in response. "That's too bad…I was hoping we could be friends." A mischievous grin flashed across Ike's face before disappearing instantly.

"Oh don't mind her." Peach said with a smile, trying to relieve the tension between the two. "She's easily insulted." Zelda shot her friend a look of confusion before picking up her iPod, wanting to end the conversation. "So how's the trumpeting going?" Peach asked in her bubbly voice as she removed her shared earphone.

"Awesome as always." Ike boasted. "None of the underclassmen can touch my mad skills." His face became tainted with an arrogant smile, but Peach didn't seem to notice. The only things she saw were his toned muscles and heart melting blue eyes. She was blinded by his exteriors and couldn't see the obvious high ego he was burdened with.

Ike wasn't bad though. He cared about his friends and was always loyal. Even though it may not have seemed like it, he did respect people and their boundaries. He was just a teenage boy and forgot his morals occasionally. He had been interested in Zelda since last year, not only because she was beautiful but also because of her first chair position. Peach tried her hardest to get Ike's attention when he fawned over Zelda, but thus far she was never successful. At first, Zelda had rejected the boy politely, but as he persisted, she began to let her irritation show. It wasn't uncommon for Zelda to be flat out rude to the trumpet player, which left Peach a little extra room to catch his interest.

Ike and Peach continued to have small talk while Zelda drowned them out with SafetySuit and other bands. The flutist looked out the window, lost in her own thoughts. She wondered what senior year would have in store for her and her future. Would she be accepted to the college she wanted? Would she get the grades she wanted? Would she ever have a high school sweetheart? Was band camp going to be any different now that she was the oldest?

These questions swirled in her mind as the countryside rushed by the window. Little did she know that this camp wasn't going to be a disappointment like years past. She didn't know what was in store for her in the coming days. She couldn't predict the opportunities that awaited her and her friends. It would be a week of new beginnings and realizations. This would be the best band camp yet.

A/N: reviews=love


	2. Chapter 2

The buses arrived at the college somewhere in the late afternoon. After unloading the bags and instruments that had sat idle in the Grey Hounds' storage area, the students made their way to their assigned rooms. They stayed in empty dorms, two to a room. Naturally, Marth and Meta were rooming together, being the best friends that they were. They boys sauntered down a hallway of a designated building, each dragging heavy luggage and backpacks and wearing room keys they had been given around their necks. It was easy for them to find their room, for they had occupied the same space for three consecutive years now. They entered the room and looked about, vaguely able to recognize the pale walls and bare furniture. Two unmade beds sat against opposite walls and a desk stood between them.

Meta threw his backpack onto the bed on the right and let his suitcase drop to the floor. Marth copied his friend, but instead let his pack fall onto the left bed. The blue haired boy sat next to his bag and let his back fall onto the stripped mattress. He sighed deeply, closing his cerulean eyes.

"This is it." He murmured. "This is the last time we'll come here like this."

"You're such a drama queen." Meta interjected, watching his friend take in the sense of the room. Then he sat down next to Marth, closer than usual for lack of space. "Don't get all sentimental on me." He continued. "We've still got the whole year ahead of us." And with that, Meta leaned over his friend and patted his head mockingly. Marth smirked in response, batting the hand away.

A knock at the door caught the two off guard. Ike opened the door and entered the space without waiting for permission, with a shorter blonde boy following him.

"Good afternoon, comrades." The boy with spiky blue hair greeted. A room key hung around his neck, reading a room number not far from Marth and Meta's. The blonde's key held the same number.

"Looks like we came in at the wrong time." The blonde commented, smiling and elbowing Ike playfully.

"Sure does, Link." Ike responded with a smirk, eyeing his friends on the bed. Meta was still leaning over Marth, who was still lying on his back.

"Honestly, guys," Marth said, sitting up and letting Meta lean back. "Even if Meta and I did have homosexual tendencies, it wouldn't be nice to tease us about it." Marth's voice was completely calm and controlled; he was unaffected by the judgment of the others.

"Just admit it, Marth." Ike retorted, smirk still staining his expression. "You guys are so gay for each other." Meta's head snapped back at the trumpet player, sudden anger apparent in his golden eyes.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Ike." Marth said, rising from the bed. "But Meta always has been and always will be just my best friend." Marth didn't seem bothered by the comment, knowing it was just a product of teenage stupidity. Meta, on the other hand, didn't appreciate his relationship with his best friend questioned. So in a silent fit of rage, Meta got off of the mattress and stood directly under Ike's gaze. The drummer was a good head shorter than the trumpet player, but obviously Meta was too stubborn to care about size.

"You know, Ike," He hissed, his yellow eyes fierce. "The people who call others gay are usually the ones struggling to hide their own homosexuality." Even as small as he was, Meta could be incredibly intimidating. The gold in his pupils burned feverishly, showing the quiet fury he held inside of him. Poor Ike was just forced to stand over him, frozen in body and mind by the almost animalistic glow in Meta's expression. When was satisfied by the stunned face in front of him, Meta smirked the slightest bit. Before finally turning out from under Ike's stare, Meta shot a painfully fake grin at the trumpet player. This instantly melted the ice that had kept Ike frozen in place, now letting him shake himself back into composure.

"God," Ike mumbled, still flustered by the odd exchange that had just occurred between Meta and himself. "Your eyes are so freaking blood curdling."

Meta, now standing next to Marth again, winked in response. Although Ike was unbelievably frustrated with the dark haired boy, he knew better than to challenge him further. Meta was incredibly protective of what he cared about, and would go to almost any lengths to protect it when necessary. Unfortunately for Ike, he wasn't high at all on the list of people Meta cared about. Marth, being Meta's best friend, was very high on said list.

"Well if you two are done flirting," Marth said, distracting the quarreling boys. "Then I'm gonna go grab some dinner with the rest of the band." It didn't surprise Marth that his two friends were fighting; they did so on a daily basis. The two could be so alike that they couldn't stand it, and so their personalities would clash. Most of the time, Marth would act as the mediator and bring the argument to a close, but this time he was too tired and fed up with the two to care.

Meta shot his friend a look, aggravated by his 'flirting' comment. Marth gazed back at him calmly, forcing the drummer to disregard his feelings of irritation.

"Wanna come with me, Link?" Marth asked, shifting his eyes to the blonde awkwardly standing by the open door. Link's head perked up in response and then he smiled and nodded. Marth strode over to the blonde trombone player, aware of the two pairs of eyes watching him. He didn't care, though, and disregarded any thoughts about turning back as he took Link's arm and started pulling him down the hallway.

Meta and Ike stood in the room for a moment longer, watching Marth leave them behind. Both boys monitored each other in their peripheral visions, wondering who would make the first move and chase after their friends. Ike sighed after another long moment, giving in and beginning to follow in the steps of Marth and Link. But all of a sudden, Meta skipped in front of him, wanting to be the first to catch up with his favorite clarinet player.

The four boys arrived at the cafeteria towards the end of the rush. Meaning they were stuck at almost the end of the line. Marth talked mainly with Link, occasionally throwing a comment back to Meta and Ike, who stood in silence behind them. Many students had already taken their seats with their meal, having been towards the front of the line. Meta's eyes wandered over the small crowd, his gaze not remaining in one particular place until one person caught his attention. Sheik was another close friend of Meta's. He was a junior and his right hand man when it came to managing the drum line. It wasn't surprising that the young drummer chose to sit by himself. In fact, Meta almost expected it.

Sheik was quiet and shy, fairly similar to Marth in this way. He was talented, but also had issues with leadership like Meta's best friend. The main difference between the young drummer and the clarinet player was the fact that Marth was respected, and Sheik was not. People automatically assumed that Sheik was a screw up because he never talked and tried to hide his face with his hair and clothing. The drummer was a good guy though, even if he wasn't the most talkative.

"I think we should sit with Sheik." Meta said out loud, his eyes still locked on his fellow drummer. Marth's gaze drifted from Meta to Sheik sitting by himself and back again.

"Sure," He answered with a smile. "That'd be cool."

"Do we _have_ to sit with that burnout?" Ike whined, earning glares from both Marth and Meta. Link didn't seem to care for the conversation developing between his friends. Instead, he kept his mind preoccupied with daydreams of a cheerleader he had acquired feelings for.

"He's not a burnout." Meta growled, his eyes fiery again. Ike ignored the intense stare and smirked in the direction of where Sheik sat.

"But he is a junior." Ike continued. "And we're all seniors."

"Oh, please." Marth said, a laugh apparent in his voice. "Don't tell me your going to put this kid down because of his age. I distinctly remember one young trumpet player who would always abandon his friends to sit with the seniors the past three years."

Like always, Marth had caught Ike contradicting himself. It wasn't a hard thing to accomplish, but it always made Marth feel extremely clever. However, he never showed the pride he took in his smart remarks. Instead he constantly maintained the humble composure his friends expected from him.

"Fine, we'll sit with him." Ike grumbled, trying to hide the way his cheeks were burning with frustration.

The boys continued through the line of students and eventually selected their dinner from a buffet. Just as Meta had wanted, they sat in the unoccupied seats that surrounded Sheik. The junior didn't speak when the boys set their trays down around them, instead just looking to Meta with a questioning expression.

"I wanted to sit with you." Meta clarified, sitting down next to his younger friend. Again, Sheik didn't speak, but looked around at the people accompanying Meta. "They tagged along." Meta continued, answering Sheik's unspoken question. Although Sheik was obviously uncomfortable with this arrangement, he decided not to question it and buried his face in his arms on the table.

Marth watched the young drummer detach himself from the situation, and reluctantly wished he could do the same. Marth spent almost all of his time with Meta and the others, and often he became bored with whatever they were talking about. He assumed this week would be no different than always, which secretly disappointed him. Although he liked band and his friends, Marth desperately wanted a change. For four years now it had been the same routine, never caring to step out of his comfort zone. He'd never had the drive to do the things that most teenagers did, like rebel against parents or constantly have a girlfriend. Now that he thought about it, Marth discovered he'd never actually had a real relationship.

Girls had told them they liked him before, but he was never interested enough to pursue anything. Marth looked around the cafeteria, observing the fact that he was at the only table that contained members of only one gender. His eyes scanned over the females of the room and he noticed a flirtatious on almost all of their faces as they fawned over whomever they happened to be talking to. He stopped when he got to one girl. Her eyes were downcast, as if she was in deep thought. A long golden braid fell over her shoulder and she wore simple attire. Marth knew who she was, and he'd never taken much notice of her until now. It was Zelda, first chair in the flute section. She was undoubtedly beautiful with her long hair and bright eyes, but there was something else, something in her expression, that caught Marth's attention. She obviously sat amongst laughing friends, which is something that should make a person happy of course, but there was an almost melancholic aura that emitted from her.

Marth found himself staring at Zelda for a long time, confused and interested in what she could be thinking. Before long, Zelda looked up and shook herself from her daze. She looked around the room nervously, hoping no one had noticed her momentary loss of composure. Her gaze briefly locked with Marth's, before he came to his senses and looked away shyly. Zelda was caught off guard by how the clarinet player had been looking at her, and even after he looked away, she kept staring in his direction.

Marth felt excessively stupid when he felt Zelda still looking his way. _She probably thinks I'm some lovesick puppy now,_ he thought. It was embarrassing enough being caught gaping at a girl like a little boy, and Marth kicked himself mentally when he felt a blush edging around his cheeks. _Arrrrrrgh, come on! Get it together! She's just a girl! Why are you freaking out?_

Zelda had known who Marth was for a long time, but she'd never talked to him outside of school. She looked at him now, obvious embarrassment etched on his face as he tried to ignore her gaze. His face was flushed and a pinkish color was creeping its way under his cerulean eyes. How had she never really noticed him before? His blue locks weren't exactly common, and his large eyes were deeper and more prominent than most. After overlooking this boy for so long, Zelda couldn't help but stare at the clarinet player…and think about how cute he was.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: okay, so I apologize for mk's oocness…I promise it will get better. I'm not sure why, but I've put some of my own jealous traits into his personality. The only difference is that I don't show my jealousy…ah well, I hope you enjoy! This is my favorite chapter so far!

The rest of the night continued in a blur for most of the students. Marth and Meta planned to retreat to their dorm after dinner, knowing that the band directors wouldn't expect them to play or march on the first night of camp. Zelda headed back to her room as well, followed by a small group of girls just waiting to gossip about anything and everything. It was the same situation as years past. Now the teens would spend the rest of the night chattering away with each other, reading books for school, or enjoying their own individual hobbies.

But this wasn't going to be the case for everyone. As Zelda and Marth headed in their opposite directions, they found themselves separate from the conversations that surrounded them. Both of their minds clouded with thoughts of what had occurred at dinner between them. Zelda had continued to watch the clarinet player even after he'd gotten up from his seat and followed his friends out the door. She just couldn't grasp the fact that she'd never really looked at him before. Sure, she'd known of his existence, but how was it that she'd never taken a close look at those cerulean eyes? They were so…enchanting.

Marth continued to blush the whole time he felt the flutist watching him, praying that his friends didn't notice. When he finally exited the cafeteria with his companions, he felt the color on his face start to clear. However, Marth continued to watch the cafeteria doors cautiously, hoping that Zelda's group had not followed them. Of course, Marth's lingering gaze did not escape Ike's notice.

"Looking at something?" The trumpet player inquired, slowing his pace to meet his friend's. The blue haired boy's head snapped away from the building at the comment, color edging around his cheeks again.

"N-No." He stuttered, evading his friend's gaze. Naturally, this nervous response didn't convince Ike.

"Come on," Ike pressed, draping an arm over the shorter boy's shoulders. "You can tell me." Marth looked up at the trumpet player, expecting a smirk to be stained across his face, but instead he found genuine curiosity in him. Ike smiled and raised his eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

"It's really nothing." Marth whispered.

"Do you really not trust me?" Ike asked, his smile fading. "I thought we were friends."

"It's not that." The blue haired boy said, shrugging out from under Ike's touch. "I just don't feel like having you go and blab anything I could say to them." Marth motioned his head towards the Meta and Link, who were a good six feet in front of them now.

"You think I'd tell them something serious?" Ike retorted. His eyebrows furrowed together in frustration. "Marth, just because I tease doesn't mean I would use personal information against you. "

Marth didn't respond, not convinced by the statement.

"I'm sorry if my teasing is hurtful, Marth." Ike reached out grasped his friend's shoulder. "It was all just for fun." Marth sighed deeply, again shrugging off Ike's touch.

"Okay, okay." The shorter boy said. "I forgive you, just don't get all emotional on me." He laughed slightly and looked up at Ike before whispering: "I was looking back to make sure that Zelda wasn't still looking at me."

"Zelda?" Ike inquired, raising his eyebrows and looking behind him in a cartoonish way. "Ya interested in her?"

"N-No!" Marth almost shouted, fighting back a blush. Ike laughed at the cuteness of his friend's reaction, which was almost too cliché to believe. "Please stop laughing."

"I-I'm sorry, Marth." Ike hooted, trying to regain his compose. "That was just too cute." The snickering of the taller boy only increased when the shorter boy blushed further.

"We looked at each other in the cafeteria." Marth whispered after Ike had calmed himself some. "I didn't mean to look at her but…it just happened, and then she looked up."

"And…?"

"And then she watched me as we left." Marth looked away as he finished his sentence; taking another quick glance to make sure Zelda wasn't close by.

The trumpet player laughed aloud again, making Marth glare at him.

"Sounds like she likes you." Ike said, nudging his friend lightly. The thought hadn't actually occurred to Marth until the moment it fell from Ike's lips. Could Zelda like him? He'd never noticed Zelda much before and they'd never really talked, but could she somehow have feelings for him? It could definitely be possible, since it was a common thing that occurred amongst teenagers. Marth had never thought of himself as desirable though, and he definitely never thought he could catch the attention of someone like Zelda. She was popular, and beautiful, and talkative, and kind, and…Marth stopped his thoughts before they went any further. Why was he suddenly thinking about this girl so much? She was just a girl…right? Just another ordinary girl.

The boys reached their dorms again, and Marth and Ike caught up to their friends as they entered the building. Meta pulled his Marth by the arm toward their room, eager to part from the trumpet and trombone player. He didn't want either of them to distract his best friend any longer. Marth willing went with his best friend, understanding the envy he had been feeling for a while now. Being the considerate person he was, Marth said good-bye to both of his friends before he allowed himself to be dragged down the hall. Meta slammed the door loudly when he and Marth had both made it into the room. The blue haired boy ignored his friend's gesture and ambled toward the bag where his bag sat. He dug through its contents for a moment and then pulled out a book. Opening it, he sat in the bed.

Meta groaned loudly, trying to grab his friend's attention, but the boy didn't look up from the book in his hands.

"I can't stand that Ike!" The black haired boy bellowed. "He's so fricken selfish!" Meta threw his hands over his head in aggravation, and then ran his fingers over his scalp. "I don't get why you two are friends." He continued. "How can you stand him for more than five minutes?"

Marth didn't respond to any of Meta's questions, knowing they were all rhetorical.

"All he did was talk about himself the entire time we were with him!" Meta fell back on his bed, letting his arms fall over his face. "And you're just over there in your own little world ninety nine percent of the time! I don't get how you do it, Marth."

"Ike is an acquired taste." Marth said calmly, keeping his eyes on his book. "I've known him longer than you have."

"So how long do I have to wait before his arrogance stops bugging the hell outta me?" Meta retorted loudly. "He's just so…nahhh!" Meta flung to his side and buried his hands in his face. Marth chuckled at the sight of his friend. It wasn't everyday that Meta showed this much emotion, and honestly Marth found it slightly amusing. Even though Meta wouldn't admit it, he had been jealous of Ike almost the entire night. He wanted Marth to pay attention to him, but instead he had been preoccupied since the moment Ike had entered their room. For this, Meta blamed Ike for distracting his friend.

"You dislike him because you two are alike." Marth whispered. The drummer's head snapped up, shocked by the explanation his friend had suggested.

"What?" He barked. "We are not!" Marth looked up from his reading, only to meet the angry and disbelieving face of his roommate. He smiled again, entertained by the immaturity of his friend.

"You are." The blue haired boy murmured. Meta had no comeback, mostly because he couldn't bring himself to yell at his friend anymore. Marth hadn't done anything but offer answers to him, so the drummer decided to drop the conversation all together.

Marth continued to read in silence, not questioning his friend's sudden lack of interest in talking. After a while, Marth could hear gentle snoring coming from the other side of the room, which indicated that Meta was asleep. He watched his friend's ribcage rise and fall for several minutes before deciding that sleep was a good idea.

After turning out the light, he opened Meta's suitcase and retrieved a blanket to drape over his friend. It wasn't late, barely past nine 'o clock in fact, but they would need to get up pretty early the next morning. The band directors had announced that they were to be awake and ready by six, which meant Marth would have to start pulling Meta out of bed around five. Meta was horrible in the morning, and often refused to get up. So, Marth had to allow himself time to force his friend to get up to make sure that they weren't late on the first real day.

Marth didn't bother to make his bed, thinking that the task was just tedious and unnecessary. He placed his bag on the floor and spread out on the bare mattress, trying to get comfortable on its hard surface. The boy turned on his side and faced the wall. Thoughts of Zelda still clouded his mind, just as they did throughout Meta's ranting. As ridiculous as it sounded, Marth was thinking that maybe he was actually starting to like the idea of being liked. After all, Zelda was popular and attractive, two things he didn't consider himself to be. He'd heard that she was good in school, which meant she probably wasn't a total airhead. She probably would make a very nice significant other, but only if Marth could find the confidence to ask her out.

These thoughts continued to ramble on in Marth's mind as sleep called to him. He knew that the chance to actually date and get to know this girl wasn't very good. _It would be nice, though_, He thought. _It would be nice… _A smile fell on the boy's face as his last moments of consciousness kept him with his hopeful thoughts.

The morning went just as badly as Marth had feared. Meta refused to get up as expected, and Marth had been forced to physically take him out of the bed and throw him to the ground to wake him. Not surprisingly, Meta was not happy afterwards, and then refused to talk to Link or Ike when they met up with them right before six. The four headed to the gym, where one of their band directors would be waiting for everyone.

Mr. Hand was the calmer of the two band directors, and was also the one that mainly worked with the drum line. The first day of band camp was usually a boring and repetitive one. It began with Mr. Hand leading yoga in the gym, and then everyone proceeds to go outside and learn how to march and set pictures. Meta, being in the foul mood he was, didn't participate in yoga, instead lying on the floor in an attempt to get back to sleep. Marth ignored him, knowing it would only aggravate the drummer, and continued to talk with his friends.

After breakfast, the band gathered at the nearby marching field. They separated into their sections and the leaders were given drill sheets to hand out to their members. Marth, being responsible, introduced himself to every freshman clarinet before handing them their sheet. Meta, still tired, threw the stack of paper at Sheik and passed the responsibility to him. After a lesson on how to march correctly, the band was instructed to form the first set. The upperclassmen (besides Meta) helped new students until everyone found their correct spots.

Marth knew it would take five seconds to find his place, so he decided to make sure everyone was in place before doing so. After checking the last freshman, he read his sheet and quickly strode in the direction it instructed.

_1, 2, 3, 4…_He counted in his mind, looking down at his feet. When he reached his position, he looked up to make sure that he was right. At his left was another clarinet player, who seemed to be bored out of her mind. When the blue haired boy looked to his left, whom did he find? None other than the blonde girl he'd been thinking about the night before.

"Hey," Zelda said with a smile. Marth looked down at the petite girl, frozen from shock. It wasn't that he was shocked to see her; her presence had just been unexpected. After a moment, Marth was able to gather his wits and somewhat thaw himself out.

"H-Hey," He stuttered, trying to crack a smile.

"It's Marth, right?" She asked.

Marth managed to nod his head in response, but lacked the ability to speak. He didn't know why he was so nervous all of a sudden. He'd seen her a million times before, but just never this close. And obviously, she'd never directly spoken to him like this.

"I'm Zelda," She chuckled, noticing Marth's awkwardness. He was beginning to blush just like he had in the cafeteria the night before, and Zelda couldn't help but find it adorable.

"Oh…" Marth breathed, suddenly worried. "Oh n-no. I know who you are." He put his hands up in front of him, as if not knowing who Zelda is was a crime in itself.

"Well, we have been in school together for a while, so I'm glad you do." Zelda's smile became even brighter, if that was at all possible. She looked so perfect, especially with the early morning sun reflecting off of her golden locks like that. Marth couldn't resist smiling warmly in return.

"Good morning, kiddies!" A loud voice rang over the field, causing all conversations to simultaneously cease. The other band director, Mr. C. Hand, had emerged from his sleep and was now in the center of all of the students, microphone in hand. Since the band was so numerous and the field so large, the directors started using an amp and microphone a long time ago to communicate with everyone.

Everyone shifted their attention to the eccentric band director, waiting for the next instructions. Mr. C proceeded to tell the band his opinions on how he thinks they will do this season. He talked about how everyone was expected to practice and play their best if they wanted to lead.

"In this band," He said. "we play by ability, not age. If you're a freshman and your just hittin' it like nobody's business, then you can have authority over others." Several freshmen looked at each other when he said this, wondering if they could be earn the respect he talked about. "That goes for older people as well." He continued. "Just because you've been here for two, three, or four years doesn't necessarily mean you get to lead."

A few seniors looked down, knowing they were the ones that he was talking about. Marth looked around, trying to find where Meta had run off to. He found him next to Sheik in the middle of the drum line. Lead snare was always in the center of the drums. He looked like he had zoned out of the situation completely, probably thinking about a favorite song or getting back to sleep. Sheik stood quietly beside him, just trying not to be noticed. Zelda stood next to the blue haired boy, stealing glances at him every few moments and then following his gaze to whoever he was looking at.

She couldn't help but wonder who his friends were, although she'd already seen him with several people. Marth noticed the girl watching him after a few minutes and turned to face her curious gaze. Of course, the moment Marth turned, Zelda looked away in embarrassment. This pattern continued between the two while Mr. C finished his speech.

"Well I'm starting to get bored just standing here." Mr. C proclaimed. "We should get this show on the road, don't you think, Lowell?" Marth looked up at the statement of his nickname. Mr. C had ambled over to the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder. The older man was shorter and stouter than Marth, and looked somewhat odd next to the teenager.

"Uh, yeah." Marth replied, not sure what to say.

Mr. C's attention shifted to the girl next to the senior, who smiled when he looked her way.

"Who else thinks Lowell and Zelda make a cute couple?" Mr. C asked loudly. Quiet laughter emitted from the band, whose eyes were all on the clarinet and flute section leaders. Marth's face flushed the moment the words fell from his lips, causing Zelda to giggle to herself quietly. _He is so easy to read, _she thought.

Farther back in the crowd, Ike was laughing to himself as well. He stood not too far from the drum line, meaning that Meta was within earshot.

"You know they don't make a bad couple." Ike said rather loudly, looking to the nearby drummer. Meta didn't look at the trumpet player; he was too busy scowling in the direction of his best friend and the girl next to him. "Although, I was hoping that Zelda would fall for me one of these days." Ike continued, walking toward Meta. "Hopefully her heart hasn't been completely stolen yet."

"They're not a couple." Meta growled, still looking at the flutist. Mr. C had continued to tease the two for a few more seconds, making Marth blush feverishly. After the band director had left, the two continued to talk and Marth even smiled at her. Meta fumed with jealousy. Marth was _his_ best friend. He already had to fight for attention with Ike and Link around; this was just going to pull Marth further away from him.

"Geez, calm down." Ike chuckled. "Marth is too shy to go out with someone like her. I mean look at him; he's blushing at just the mention of them being a couple." Meta looked to the spiky haired senior, who seemed to wear a genuine expression.

"Maybe, you're right." Meta mumbled, shrugging his shoulders. "It doesn't really matter anyway. Marth can do what he wants." Ike shrugged also, not quite sure what was going through the shorter boy's mind.

At that point, Mr. C was ordering everyone to reset the first picture before they could continue. Ike left Meta and returned to his spot, wanting to avoid getting in trouble. The morning carried on with no other major events. Meta talked mainly to Sheik, and even somewhat to Ike when he was around. Marth and Zelda talked when they were close to each other and occasionally exchanged glances when they weren't. It didn't feel like a normal band camp, that much was for sure. Even though old habits seemed to be broken, that didn't necessarily mean that new, perhaps better, traditions weren't being formed.


	4. Chapter 4

The afternoon came and went, and soon the students were heading to the cafeteria for dinner. Meta attached himself to Marth's side, not caring that Zelda stayed close to the blue haired boy as well. Ike and Link stuck close to their friends, neither wanting to be left out. At dinner, Peach joined the group, jealous that her best friend was alone with so many boys. The flutist flirted with Ike almost the entire time, which didn't seem to bother her female friend. The trumpet player decided to actually flirt back when he saw Marth and Zelda off in their own little world. It was hard to be jealous of the couple; they were just too cute together. Link sat in silence with Meta most of the hour.

Students filed into the music building after their meal, as previously instructed by the directors. With their instruments in hand, they formed basic concert arcs and waited for their teachers to appear. Zelda stood at the very front next to the podium, with Peach at her immediate left. Marth was on the opposite side; exactly the same place he'd stood the previous year. Meta was, of course, in the back, his beloved snare finally in his grasp. The black haired senior had been itching to play for days now.

Mr. C eventually made his way to the podium and demanded the attention of the chattering band.

"I'm passing out this year's half time show." He announced as he handed Zelda a stack of music. "We're playing Maynard tunes." Ike's head perked up when he heard this. Maynard Ferguson was one of his favorite jazz trumpet players. The music would definitely be in the high range, and being first trumpet meant that he would get to play the awesome solos. Ike's excited eyes did not miss the attention of the band director.

"I'm sure you can handle it, Ike." Mr. C continued, turning toward the senior. Several freshmen looked back to see the smirk on the first trumpet's face.

"That's not what I'm worried about," Ike replied. "I'm just not sure you'll be able to hear the rest of my section in this music." He looked to Pit, a junior, at his left. The brunette scowled at his upperclassman, hating his excessive pride. Mr. C rolled his eyes at the two, knowing that Pit was an accomplished player, even if not in Ike's eyes.

"I'm not gonna lie." The director continued, turning back to the band. "This is not easy stuff. Everything's fast and technical, but I think we can handle it. Young people will probably fall behind in some places, and that's why we have older kids to guide them."

Marth looked past the director, who kept up his speech about music and responsibility. His eyes fell on the first chair flutist across from him, who was listening to the director quietly. He knew it was cliché, but really he found her breathtaking. Soon, Marth had completely forgotten about the lecturing man in front of him.

Samus, the second chair clarinet, noticed Marth's wandering gaze after a few moments. She feared Mr. C would catch him, so she gently nudged him with her elbow to bring him out of his daze.

"Keep it together," The blonde whispered to her superior. "Don't let C see you spacing out." Marth looked to her and nodded, knowing she was right. If Mr. C noticed that he was gawking at any girl, he'd never live it down.

"Anyway," Mr. C concluded. "Let's play." The director began to snap his fingers as he said this, which indicated the speed at which he was going to go. "_Birdland_ is the opener."

Zelda had already passed back the music, so members of each section had the music somewhere within reading distance.

The band played well for their first real time together, and got through _Birdland_ pretty easily. _Brazil_ was the second tune that Mr. C had selected, which proved to be harder for many. And last, _MacArthur Park_ was the closer of the show. Mr. C pulled out some stands tunes after they had gone over the show a couple times. These songs were things like _25 or 6 to 4_ and _In The Stone_; older songs with heavy brass and a fast pace.

When the time reached about nine 'o clock, Mr. C decided to let everyone go for the night, which was a relief for the exhausted freshmen. Zelda chatted with Marth about music while they put their instruments back in their cases. Everyone scrambled to get out of the small music building, all eager to get back to their dorms and rest. Peach tagged along with Zelda as she left the large building.

"We seriously need to have some girl talk." Peach giggled as she linked arms with Zelda, who smiled genuinely in response.

Dark blue covered the sky, but the short path that lead back to the dorms was well lit by the street lights of the campus. The two girls walked, talking lightly and unaware of the stares of several boys behind them.

"Looks like we won't hear from them 'til morning." Ike said, slipping his hands into his pockets. Marth and Meta ambled close to the trumpet player. Link trailed a little ways behind the three boys.

"What do you mean?" Marth inquired.

Ike chuckled quietly, causing Marth's eyebrows to furrow together.

"You really don't know anything about girls, do you?" The trumpet player commented. He then took a hand and pointed to the ladies ahead of them. "When they link arms like that, it usually means that they want to be alone. They'll probably head back to their room and talk about girl things for the rest of the night."

"How do you know?" Meta interjected, his expression critical.

"Trust me, shorty." Ike retorted with a smirk. "I know plenty of things about females."

"What did you call me?" Meta fumed. The small drummer tried to reach past Marth and seize the taller man, but was stopped by an arm suddenly wrapping around his neck.

"Calm down," Marth whispered as he kept Meta from tearing Ike apart. "Don't you think you two have bickered enough for one day?"

"He's the one egging me on!" Meta screamed, trying to wriggle out from Marth's hold.

"It's true, Ike." Marth said turning to the trumpet player. "I want you both to just stop, okay? This little love-hate relationship is really starting to annoy me."

"Love-hate?" Ike laughed. "I think we're more like mortal enemies." Meta finally managed to break Marth's hold after another long moment of squirming.

"Wrong!" The drummer almost yelled. "I would never waste my time being enemies with you."

"Seriously!" Marth yelled back, suddenly in Meta's face. "Quit it!"

Marth was close enough that his nose almost touched Meta's. His nostrils flared in anger and his cerulean eyes glowed with a low intensity.

The drummer halted, stunned by his friend's sudden anger. Marth looked at his friend in extreme frustration for a moment longer before turning on his heel and leaving the other two boys alone. Ike and Meta watched in disbelief as he stormed down the path that split off to the boy's dorms. Neither had ever seen Marth raise his voice so suddenly; it caught both of them off guard.

"What was that about?" Link asked as he caught up with the two boys.

Meta and Ike simultaneously looked to each other, both seeing the confusion they shared.

"Not sure." Ike finally said, turning to the blonde. Meta looked at Link for a split second, making sure that he had not seen the momentary confrontation that had just taken place. He seriously didn't want news of drama like this to be spread around. Thankfully, Link wore the same oblivious expression as always.

The three boys then continued to their destination, none of them talking about or searching for Marth. Link and Ike split off in the direction of their shared room when Meta had reached his own dorm. When the drummer opened the door, he expected the worst and braced himself for more yelling. However, the room he entered turned out to be dark; the lights had been intentionally turned off. Moonlight emitted from the window above the two beds, revealing a fully clothed Marth strewn out on his cot. He faced the wall, curled up as if asleep.

Meta didn't try to talk to his friend, although he knew very well that he was not asleep. Instead, he found his own bed and laid down on it. The atmosphere between the two was thick and anxiety-stricken, which made actual slumber hard to obtain. They stayed in silence in the dark, each secretly knowing that the other was wide-awake. Sleep eventually came, but not before the moon had risen high into the night sky.

In the girl's dorms just a short distance away, the scenario was a completely differently story. Peach and Zelda had made their way to their room and were now chattering away in an exciting whirlwind of teenage hormones.

"I can't believe you never noticed him before!" Peach squealed, plopping down on Zelda's bed.

"Don't pretend like you ever gave him a second thought," Zelda retorted, giggling slightly. "He was just never one to express interest in girls. I don't think he's ever dated anyone actually." Peach shifted so that she was lying on her stomach and resting her chin in her dainty hands.

"It's true," She said, tilting her head to the side. "I don't think he's had any experience with women." A sly smile crossed her face. "Which means he must still be a virgin." Zelda raised her eyebrow.

"Must your mind always go straight to the sex?" She questioned. "That's not the only thing that matters in a relationship, you know."

"True!" Peach pointed a pink fingernail at her friend. "But it is still part of it, which means it is something that should be examined!"

"What does it matter?" Zelda whispered, looking away. "It's not like I have much experience there either." A blush crawled across her pale cheeks.

"That's my point, Zelda." Peach giggled, extending a hand and making the other girl look at her. "You two are different when it comes to that. It's one thing for the girl to be a virgin in the relationship, but it's another if it's the boy." Zelda swiped away her friend's touch.

"I don't think it really matters at this point, Peach. All I know is that I like him…" Again, Zelda looked away, the pink tint returning to her face.

Peach smiled and sat up quickly, making the bed bounce.

"Then this calls for contacting our third sister!" She announced in her shrill tone.

"You think Midna will be up at this hour?" Zelda inquired, watching her friend whip out her bright pink flip phone.

"She better be!" Peach squealed as she rapidly pushed the buttons on the small device. She placed the phone to her ear and soon heard the sound of the dial tone on the other end.

"_Hello?_" A voice asked after it rang for a moment.

"Midna!" Peach almost yelled. Zelda held up a finger over her lips, reminding Peach that it was getting late and people could be asleep by now.

"_Yes_?" Midna asked.

"You'll never guess what happened to our little Zelda today!" Peach brought her voice down to a more reasonable level.

Zelda glared at her friend. Since when was she the 'little' one of their friendship?

"_I dunno_," Midna sounded fairly uninterested. "_She got back together with Link?" _

"Ew!" Zelda exclaimed. "That was like two years ago!"

"_Well, I dunno_," Midna continued, apparently hearing Zelda's sudden outburst on the other end. "_You two were pretty serious, if you know what I mean_."

Zelda glared again, suddenly hating the fact that she'd told Midna the intimate details of that relationship so long ago.

"You're kinda close though, Midna." Peach continued. "Zelda does have a love interest!"

"_Really, who_?"

"It's that Marth guy from the clarinet section!" Peach cried with excitement. She threw her hand in the air, as if her joy just couldn't be contained any longer.

"_The blue haired one_?"

"The very same."

Midna congratulated her friend, ignoring the fact that she clandestinely didn't care. Peach giggled a few more times, before Midna claimed to be tired and requested to leave. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to her two best friends; it was just that she'd started cheerleading tryouts that day and was utterly exhausted. Peach and Zelda said their goodbyes and goodnights to their friend, before hanging up with intentions of getting to sleep themselves.

Once both had changed into their pajamas, they lay down on their beds and faced each other. The lamp on the nightstand between them was the last source of light that remained on. Both girls suddenly felt a wave of relaxation and pulled their covers up to their waists.

"Do you think he likes me, too?" Zelda whispered in a quiet question. Peach could only smile at her friend's adorable insecurity.

"It's only been one day, sweetie," She murmured back. "But honestly, I think it's hard for any boy not to like you."

Zelda closed her eyes, wanting to believe the encouraging words of the teenager. It had been so long since she'd wanted a relationship like this. Of course, she'd gotten offers from guys that wanted to date her, but she'd rejected them all. Ever since her relationship with the blonde trombone player about two years ago, she'd never wanted to get involved with anyone again.

They'd been together for a year before things started to get serious. Truthfully, Zelda hadn't been ready for anything intimate, especially since she'd only been a sophomore at the time. However, she'd felt that if she didn't do certain things, then Link wouldn't want to be with her anymore. So, the two ended up going too far too soon, and things only ended badly after that. She really didn't want things to go like that again, which is why she hadn't dated since. She'd even gone as far as not thinking about boys or dating, all in hopes of forgetting what had happened.

However, after seeing and talking to Marth so much today, the feelings of regret and hurt seemed to have ebbed. She no longer thought about rejection and hiding herself away, instead replacing those things with ideas of a blossoming love. Perhaps this is was just what she had been waiting for.

Peach reached up and turned out the light when Zelda didn't reopen her eyes. The mood remained serene as the girls slipped into unconsciousness, both awaiting the events of the coming day.

A/N: I know its been a long time since I last updated, but I hope you still liked this chapter :] Much love to everyone!


	5. Chapter 5

"What's wrong with you, Knight?"

Meta's head perked up in response to the question whispered from across the table. Sheik was leaning over his breakfast, an intently concerned look crossing his face. It was the first time Meta had heard the junior speak since the beginning of the camp.

"I was starting to think you'd lost your voice." The senior joked, lowering his head back to the table.

"You know I don't like talking," Sheik retorted with a glare. "And don't change the subject. I know something's troubling you."

"And how could you possibly know that?" Meta asked with little interest. For the first time in a while, he was starting to think that Sheik was being annoying.

"Because I know you," Sheik answered sternly. "And you and Marth have been attached at the hip ever since I can remember. So tell me why he's sitting across the room with all of your other friends, and you chose to sit in the corner with me."

Meta didn't answer, and instead chose to bury his head in his arms on the table's top. He pulled his black jacket's hood over his face in an attempt to hide. Sheik sat there silently, watching his friend's immaturity.

"Grow up, Meta." The junior said in monotone, knowing the other drummer could hear him. "Just tell me."

Meta groaned and shifted his position so that he could see his friend. Sheik raised an eyebrow at him.

"Marth's mad at me." The senior whispered, looking down. "He yelled at me last night and we haven't spoken since."

The junior's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"Well, what did you do to make him mad?" The younger boy questioned.

"Why do you think it was something I did?" Meta growled in irritation.

"Because he's the one over there laughing with friends, and you're the one over here sulking."

Sheik was right. The clarinet player seemed completely unaffected by the confrontation from the previous night. Presently, he sat next to Zelda at a far away breakfast table, laughing and enjoying the morning with company. While on the other hand, Meta was moping over the situation with his head buried in the fabric of his jacket.

Meta sighed, knowing there was no other way to explain the circumstances.

"He yelled at me, because I argued with Ike too much." He mumbled, lifting his head. "Damn it, that self-centered monkey makes me want to pull my hair out." As he said this, the senior ran his fingers through the thick, black tresses of his hair.

"The first trumpet guy?" Sheik asked, turning around and taking a quick glance at Ike at the far off table. "Seems like a pretty stupid one to me. I can understand why you don't like him."

"But I can't hate him while Marth is around," Meta continued, "We have to 'get along' according to him." The senior made dramatic air quotes with his fingers.

"Seems like you have a dilemma, man." Sheik commented with a slight grin. "Perhaps it's time to start thinking of what Marth wants instead of what you want." Meta's stare snapped up to meet the junior's gaze. "Have you ever thought about all the things Marth does to put up with you?"

"What are you implying?" The words were almost a threat as they fell from Meta's downturned lips.

"I'm just saying, being close to you isn't always easy, Knight." The junior clarified. "You only like certain people, and especially when it comes to the drum line, you are very picky and egotistical. Really you're just like the rest of us; you have good and bad traits."

"Which means?" Meta pressed, aggravation and confusion apparent on his face.

"Like I said, perhaps it's time to think about what Marth wants." And with this, the junior stood and lifted his breakfast tray off of the table. "It's just a suggestion," He whispered with a genuine smile, before walking away and throwing the remnants of his food into the trash.

Meta watched as he left the cafeteria, assuming the junior had intentions of going back to the band building to practice. It had been a while since the two drummers had shared a legitimate conversation. So long, if fact, that Sheik had seemed to have matured significantly without the senior even noticing. Just a year ago, the younger had been scared to talk with Meta at all, and now he seemed to be giving him life advice.

Deep down, Meta knew that his friend was right; he did need to change. Marth had put up with his constant bickering since the first day of band camp freshman year, and never even complained until now. However, the drummer had always been that way, even before meeting Marth. Was he supposed to change just to save a friendship? Frankly, he didn't even know if it was possible.

So many times his pride had prevented him from pursuing things like relationships. This was the reason for his limited friend circle. While he didn't mind being somewhat of a loner, he did cherish the friendships he did have, Marth being one of them. Losing someone he cared about so much…would he be able to handle it?

_Maybe it is time to change_, Meta thought, looking toward his blue haired friend sitting on the opposite side of the room. Marth looked so happy amongst the others, much more than he ever did with the drummer alone. He smiled at Zelda in such a loving way, something Meta had never seen him do before. Then suddenly, Marth's gaze lifted and met Meta's curious, yellow eyes. The drummer froze, anticipating a glare or dirty look from his angry friend.

Instead, Marth's expression softened, and a sincere grin crossed his mouth. Meta couldn't move; he was too stunned by the reaction of the clarinet player. Marth laughed to himself and shook his head, amused by Meta's astonishment. The drummer looked back down at his meal, suddenly very confused.

Marth had just smiled at him willingly…did that mean he was forgiven? Puzzled, Meta stood and threw the untouched meal away; nothing had seemed very appetizing. Drumsticks in hand, he intended on following Sheik's footsteps to the band room for extra practice. His feet swiftly ambled across the cafeteria floor, and soon he was in the hallway that led to the exit. Just as his hand touched the handle to the exit door, a voice reverberated down the hallway and stopped him.

"Meta Knight!" A boy's voice called. Meta knew who it was, but this didn't allow himself to turn around and face the person. "Meta!" Marth repeated, quickly catching up with the drummer.

"Yes?" Meta mumbled, keeping his eyes on the door.

"I just…" Marth started, a sudden saddened expression crossing his face. "I wanted to apologize for last night."

In an almost cartoon way, Meta's head perked up, fearful that he had somehow imagined the words of his friend.

"It was wrong of me to yell at you." The clarinet player continued. "I don't want to ruin our friendship because I randomly snapped at you."

Meta met gazes with the taller boy, trying to find traces of the furious person he had seen the previous night. However, only his best friend's personality seemed evident at the moment.

"I'm sorry, Marth." Meta whispered, looking down. All of a sudden, a wave of guilt had come over him. Sheik was right; he wasn't easy to be around, and now he was just forcing Marth to cover up that fact yet again. "I've never been a very good friend. You raising your voice made me realize that." The blue haired boy's eyebrows creased together in confusion.

"Meta…you-" Marth began, but was cut off by the smaller teen covering his mouth with the palm of his hand. He didn't want Marth to justify his actions, because there was no excuse to be the way that he was. He needed to start taking responsibility for himself and not let the false explanations of his friend just be enough.

"Don't tell me that I'm fine just the way I am, Marth." The drummer murmured, his hair falling over his eyes in a melancholic demeanor. "I know…I know that I'm not perfect…but that doesn't give me an excuse to act like I have." At this point, Meta didn't know if Marth really wanted to be friends with him anymore, which, although the drummer would never admit it, broke his heart. Marth had been there since the beginning of high school; he couldn't imagine going to school without seeing him everyday.

Meta looked up when he heard a sudden giggle escape the taller boy's lips. Was Marth laughing at him?

"I-I'm sorry, Meta," Marth chuckled, removing the other boy's hand from his mouth. "It's just kinda funny to see you so worked up over this."

Unlike his friend, the drummer hadn't found the situation very humorous and was fairly insulted by the lack of maturity coming from the other. Irritated, Meta began to turn on his heel with intentions of leaving Marth alone in the hallway. However, he was stopping by a hand grabbing his arm in protest. Suddenly, Meta was whirled around into the arms of his best friend.

"I understand what you mean," Marth whispered, tightening his hold around the shorter boy. "But I really don't think you should linger on small details like that. I figured out a long time ago that your pride makes you do stupid things."

Meta glared, but didn't resist the embrace of his friend. It was true; the drummer did have an issue with his pride. However, Marth didn't mind it one bit. Meta's personality may have its downfalls, but ultimately the pros outweighed the cons.

They stood there, holding each other affectionately, for a few more moments before Meta reluctantly pulled away. Marth smiled tenderly at his friend and offered out his hand.

"Friends?" The taller boy asked. Meta took the palm in his own and shook it gently.

"Duh," The drummer grunted, smiling.

"Marth!" Both boys looked back down the hallway to see who was calling for the clarinet player. Their whole group was now making their way towards the two still standing in front of the exit. Peach was ahead of the rest, waving her hand and smiling ridiculously at the senior boys.

"Marth! Meta!" She repeated in her shrill voice. "We're heading over to the music building to set up early. Are you guys coming?" Meta subtly looked to his friend, unsure of what to say. Marth threw his arm over the drummer's shoulder, noticing his uncertainty.

"Sure, why not?" The blue haired teenager answered.

When the others, meaning Link, Ike, and Zelda, had caught up to the exit, everyone proceeded to the music building to gather their various instruments that they had been instructed to get. Mr. C was eager to start actually playing while marching.

Upon entering the building, Meta separated from the others and headed toward the room where the marching drums were kept. He kept his gaze down like always and was only vaguely paying attention to where he was going. As he quickly ambled around a sharp corner, he suddenly collided into a girl heading in the opposite direction. The girl gasped loudly and fell backwards onto the floor, dropping the paper she had been carrying. Sheet music went flying everywhere and Meta stumbled back in shock.

_Damn it_, he thought, collapsing to his knees and starting to gather the papers. He didn't look the girl in eye until he felt her hovering right next to him. He looked up and met the bright blue eyes of Samus, a junior that Meta knew was in Marth's section. For a moment they just stared at each other, as if lost for words, but then Meta could feel a blush creeping around his face, and he hastily looked away. Samus giggled, causing the senior to look at her again. Her smile glowed sincerely, not in a mocking manner.

She's not making fun of me? Meta asked himself, a smile faintly crossing his lips. The junior girl sat up on her knees and began to gather the music again, the grin still evident in her expression. Meta had never seen Samus up close like this, and now he was noticing how attractive she really was. Her golden hair fell above her eyes in a mysterious way, which seemed to make her all that much more appealing. Of course, her body wasn't too bad either.

"I don't think we've ever been properly introduced," The junior said, standing up. Meta rose to his feet as well. "I'm Samus Aran." She continued, her hand extending and her eyes sparkling.

"Meta Knight," The senior mumbled, shaking her delicate palm. "I-I'm sorry that I bumped into you," He continued in a shaky tone. "Sometimes I space out…"

The blonde laughed again, taking the papers Meta had collected out of his hands.

"No worries," She giggled. "We all have moments."

_Wow…other girls would've freaked out_, the senior thought. _But she's just…just chill. _

"Well, I actually need to go find Marth," The junior said, flashing another glowing smile. "C wanted me to give this sheet music to him for our section."

"Oh yeah," Meta replied. "You're second chair clarinet this year, right?"

"Indeed I am!" Samus beamed, clutching the sheet music closer to her chest. "And, of course, you are the lead snare drum!"

"That I am," The senior laughed awkwardly. "Which I should probably go get my snare right now…"

"Oh yes!" Samus blushed, stepping to the side. "I'm sorry! I need to go put together my instrument as well." The blonde averted her eyes, feeling the color deepen on her pale cheeks. "Perhaps…perhaps I'll see you around?" She asked nervously.

Meta was left in disbelief. No girl had ever acted this way around him before. In fact, most females tried to avoid him at all costs. Not that he cared; girls were just a distraction in his eyes. However, he couldn't deny the fact that his heart beat faster every time the junior smiled at him.

"Y-Yeah, sure." The black haired boy stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. Samus grinned excitedly, her eyes luminous. She gave a little enthusiastic wave before moving past the senior boy and almost skipping down the hall. Meta watched her leave, still captivated by the way she'd acted like an infatuated little girl around him.

He was confused, astonished, and intrigued all at the same time.

To be continued…

A/N: Kinda Meta Knight centered. Really not the easiest chapter to write, but hey it's here XD  
I'm hoping the next one will come faster, but no promises. I'm majorly distracted by drawing right now. Oh, and I'm getting a deviantart soon, so I'll be able to post some fan art for my stories. Much love to everyone!


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